Oh, god, was LBJ the politician who referred to his johnson as "Mr Cannon" in letters to his sweetie, and referred to her vagina as "Nancy" - I recall a poli sci prof back in my college days telling that story.

The only reason LBJ was so fanatical about Viet Nam was that his social programs at home were downright Communist, and he wanted to distract from that fact so no one knew his true identity, or "the love that dare not speak its name" that he had for Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and Mao.

He loved her family's money--he needed money to fund his political aspirations.Also, what about the stories of secretaries/clerical staff/interns he slept with in the White House; coming into their beds in the evening with the greeting, "Move over, it's your President".Guy was the worst President ever. I think he had a hand in JFK's assassination--he would never have been President otherwise and his will to power was his dominant personality characteristic.In other words, this man was a major scumball.

I used to work with a guy who started his radio career doing overnights at KLBJ. He got a call on the "red phone" about 2am and it was Miz Lady Bird herself, calling in a request. He said she was just a really sweet lady. Shame she married a jackass, but it happens.

In 1948, Lyndon Johnson became a Senator when 202 people lined-up in alphabetical order in Alice, Texas and voted. And, they all owned fountain pens with green ink. (new window)

and what remains so impressive is that he really bit the hand that fed him in the end, worse than truman did even. johnson knew the future of the democrats did not rest in uppity backwards southern segregationists who helped him into power. no, that was the future for the republican party. he chose....wisely.

for giggles look up how lincoln really beat seward for the republican nomination in '60. lol honest abe.

Omahawg:I highly recommend robert caro's biographical series on mr. johnson's johnson to really find out how government works

The Caro books not only tell how government use to work but also depict in detail almost unbelievable day to day character revealing exploits of LBJ. From Lyndon conning MacArthur into getting him awarded a Silver Star to putting a loud speaker on a helicopter used in his 48 Senate run, so that while flying between campaign stops he could deliver non-stop stump speeches to anyone he flew over, to forcing Hubert Humphrey to attend meetings in his bathroom while Johnson took a dump Caro gives an in depth study of a man that seems in many ways to be anything but presidential. I wish he could do the same type of bio series on all of the presidents since Johnson.